Latest news with #schoolinfrastructure
CBC
24-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Unclear how N.S. is prioritizing where new schools are built, auditor general says
Nova Scotia's auditor general says the province needs to be more transparent about how it's spending money on school infrastructure. Auditor General Kim Adair looked at the decision-making process behind all major school projects that were in the works as of September 2024, with a total value of $2 billion. She concluded that the process wasn't grounded in evidence and needs improvement. She said the province should be considering enrolment projections, modular and portable use, and upcoming housing developments, among other factors, but it does not seem to always be doing so. "A new school can be upwards of $100 million. You're going to impact our students for decades ahead. It should not be a subjective process," she said at a news conference Tuesday. One example in Adair's report is that of four new schools for the Halifax area announced in 2023. She said the Education Department justified them based on their proximity to new housing developments. However, there were seven areas in Halifax with new housing developments, and Adair said the province couldn't clarify how it picked the four. Lack of answers "The concerning thing, if you read through this report, is the number of sentences where we state we could not get answers, they could not support the decisions, there was no evidence," Adair said. She also noted that the Halifax Regional Centre for Education requested six new schools in 2023, ranked in order of preference, and the province approved them in a seemingly random way, not following the order HRCE put forward. Critical condition, delays Adair reported that 30 per cent of Nova Scotia's 372 schools are in poor condition and three per cent are in critical condition. Another 21 per cent of schools haven't had an assessment of their condition in over five years. She said the schools in poor and critical condition don't represent a safety issue, but the information is an important tool that should be used for planning purposes. A spokesperson for the Education Department said some of the schools the auditor general found to be critical are no longer in that condition following recent maintenance. In other cases, they said the department and regional centres for education are working on or scheduling upgrades. Many of the schools on the critical list need new roofs, windows and siding. Adair called out delays to four school replacement projects, including St. Joseph's-Alexander McKay school in Halifax, whose reopening has been repeatedly pushed back. Adair said another three cases — two in Cape Breton and one in Fairview-Clayton Park — have had no progress in seven years. Meanwhile, Adair said, costs have doubled and the time lapse may result in schools that are no longer big enough for their communities. Room for political influence A similar review of school capital planning was completed in 2016 by Adair's predecessor, Michael Pickup. He found problems with government decision-making surrounding three new schools that were put in three Liberal-held ridings by a Liberal government, leading to accusations of political influence. Adair said there have been improvements to the decision-making process since then, but not enough. She said there is still room for subjectivity and political influence, although she stopped short of suggesting there has, in fact, been political influence in any recent projects. The 2016 report led to the launch of the current capital planning process in 2019. NDP education critic Paul Wozney said there hasn't been enough progress since then. "What we need is a long-term planning process that makes sense, to get schools built so we don't have to house our kids in stopgap buildings like modulars and portables," he told reporters. Adair made six recommendations, all of which the province has accepted. Education Minister Brendan Maguire would not do an interview but said in an emailed statement that updates to the capital planning process are underway. He said his department is working with the Finance and Public Works departments, as well as the regional centres for education and the French school board.
CBC
24-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Decisions on N.S. school construction not supported by evidence: AG report
Social Sharing Nova Scotia's auditor general says the province needs to be more transparent about how it's spending money on school infrastructure. Auditor General Kim Adair looked at the decision-making process behind all major school projects that were in the works as of September 2024, with a total value of $2 billion. She concluded that the process wasn't grounded in evidence and needs improvement. She said the province should be considering enrolment projections, modular and portable use, and upcoming housing developments, among other factors, but it does not seem to always be doing so. "A new school can be upwards of $100 million. You're going to impact our students for decades ahead. It should not be a subjective process," she said at a news conference Tuesday. One example in Adair's report is that of four new schools for the Halifax area announced in 2023. She said the Education Department justified them based on their proximity to new housing developments. However, there were seven areas in Halifax with new housing developments, and Adair said the province couldn't clarify how it picked the four. Lack of answers "The concerning thing, if you read through this report, is the number of sentences where we state we could not get answers, they could not support the decisions, there was no evidence," Adair said. She also noted that the Halifax Regional Centre for Education requested six new schools in 2023, ranked in order of preference, and the province approved them in a seemingly random way, not following the order HRCE put forward. Critical condition, delays Adair reported that 30 per cent of Nova Scotia's 372 schools are in poor condition and three per cent are in critical condition. Another 21 per cent of schools haven't had an assessment of their condition in over five years. She said the schools in poor and critical condition don't represent a safety issue, but the information is an important tool that should be used for planning purposes. Adair called out delays to four school replacement projects, including St. Joseph's-Alexander McKay school in Halifax, whose reopening has been repeatedly pushed back. Adair said another three cases — two in Cape Breton and one in Fairview-Clayton Park — have had no progress in seven years. Meanwhile, Adair said, costs have doubled and the time lapse may result in schools that are no longer big enough for their communities. Room for political influence A similar review of school capital planning was completed in 2016 by Adair's predecessor, Michael Pickup. He found problems with government decision-making surrounding three new schools that were put in three Liberal-held ridings by a Liberal government, leading to accusations of political influence. Adair said there have been improvements to the decision-making process since then, but not enough. She said there is still room for subjectivity and political influence, although she stopped short of suggesting there has, in fact, been political influence in any recent projects. The 2016 report led to the launch of the current capital planning process in 2019. NDP education critic Paul Wozney said there hasn't been enough progress since then. "What we need is a long-term planning process that makes sense, to get schools built so we don't have to house our kids in stopgap buildings like modulars and portables," he told reporters. Adair made six recommendations, all of which the province has accepted. Education Minister Brendan Maguire would not do an interview but said in an emailed statement that updates to the capital planning process are underway. He said his department is working with the Finance and Public Works departments, as well as the regional centres for education and the French school board.
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
School building funds haven't increased in 15 years
The funding is called 5YA - five-year agreement - and is used in agreement with the Ministry of Education. Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro Secondary school principals are unhappy the amount of money schools get to upgrade or replace their buildings has not changed in 15 years. They say $30 per square metre, plus a further $10 for older buildings, does not go far - and it was high time they got a boost. The funding is called 5YA - five-year agreement - and is used in agreement with the Ministry of Education. Darfield High School principal Andy England raised the issue with the Ministry of Education and Secondary Principals Association recently after he noticed his school's allocation had barely changed in the past decade. He told RNZ that he was surprised to find the current rate was introduced in 2010, and had not changed since. "We all know what's happened to construction costs, building sector costs, inflation generally over the last 15 years, so for the base square metre area to have not risen in 15 years, I actually don't think we're being equipped to look after the Crown's assets." England said his school received $1.59m in its 5YA, but by his rough calculations it should probably be nearly half-a-million dollars more than that in order to keep pace with inflation. The ministry could provide further supplementary funding for upgrades, but England said that made big jobs dependent on the ministry's judgement and raised the risk that some schools would not be treated fairly. He said his school had a looming project involving a switch from septic tanks to mains sewerage that could use its entire 5YA allocation unless it received supplementary funding. "If the ministry owns this land and the purpose of this land is for education, then it should be funded to an acceptable standard," he said. Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault said it raised the issue with the ministry last week. He said schools were good at making ends meet, but the 5YA funding rate seemed to be way behind where it should be. "We know that over the last five or 10 years the cost to do anything has significantly increased, and so I think the market prices are significantly ahead of the funding model that's applied to 5YA stuff.". Couillault said principals were increasingly worried about the adequacy of the funding their schools received to maintain and upgrade property. Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault. Photo: RNZ "There is increasing levels of disquiet with regard to the funding that you get being satisfactory to meet all of the needs that your building condition assessment might raise." He said at the extreme end they had to ensure there were no health and safety risks, but they also wanted to provide good places to learn. Last year's review of school property said the government set aside about $750m a year for depreciation of school buildings - money to be used to upgrade and replace property as it wore out over time. It said schools received less than half of that money directly, and the overall total was too low. The ministry said it would review the funding rate this year to ensure it had the right balance between direct school funding and supplementary funding. It said its supplementary property funding allowed it to target funding to the schools that needed it most. The ministry said it had other programmes to help schools with property condition and growth, including a scheme upgrading buildings in 763 small or remote schools. "The programme delivers upgraded lighting with LEDs, enhanced acoustic performance using acoustic panelling, enhanced electrical safety via residual current devices at power outlets, insulation and carpet," it said. In 2024/25 the allocation for 5YA was $135m and the supplementary allocation was $210m. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Mail & Guardian
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Equal Education slams Gwarube over claim that 90% of schools now in a better condition
Basic education minister, Siviwe Gwarube. (Lefty Shivambu/Gallo) Civil society movement Equal Education accused Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube of failing to understand the reality of public schools after she said last week that 90% of them are now in a better condition, according to her department's latest infrastructure assessments. Gwarube's comments were not true, with some classrooms not having been renovated since 2008, said Equal Education's spokesperson, Ayanda Sishi Wigzell. 'I think the minister needs to visit more schools across the country. The infrastructure many children are exposed to is not safe at all.' Gwarube told parliament that all mud and asbestos schools have been eradicated, marking what she called a 'major milestone in creating safer learning environments'. But the minister said there was still an infrastructure backlog requiring about R129 billion, for the eradication of unsafe pit latrines, the replacement of dilapidated structures and provision of essential services such as water and electricity. 'Over 8 222 schools still require additional classrooms, and meeting that need would cost approximately R32 billion. While we're working closely with the provinces to find solutions, this remains a critical area of focus,' said Gwarube. South Africa's public education system comprises 22 529 schools, according to the department of basic education. Recent data showed that the condition of 390 schools was categorised as 'very poor', 1 850 were identified as 'poor' and 53% of all schools were marked as 'good'. The Eastern Cape has the highest number of schools in the 'poor' and 'very poor' categories, totalling 1 090. In contrast, the Western Cape stands out with no schools in these categories. The province has the highest percentage of schools in 'good' and 'excellent' condition. Gwarube said 35 585 schools still required additional toilets to accommodate rising enrolment numbers, which would cost an estimated R14 billion. According to the department, 93% of the 3 372 identified pit latrines at schools have been replaced with appropriate sanitation facilities. The Sanitation Appropriate for Education initiative, introduced in 2018, targeted the elimination of unsafe pit toilets, but delays in its implementation have resulted in the death of children, the most recent being three-year-old Unecebo Mboteni, who fell into one such pit at a daycare centre in the Eastern Cape in 2023. Equal Education, which has been advocating for the 'Pit latrines in schools do not inherently equal education; in fact, they pose significant barriers to a quality and equitable learning environment. The presence of pit latrines, particularly plain pit latrines, creates numerous problems that negatively impact student well-being and educational outcomes,' Wigzell said. In May last year, new regulations were gazetted which stipulated that schools lacking basic services such as water, electricity, or sanitation must comply within 18 months. Schools constructed with unsuitable materials were given a 12-month compliance window. 'We cannot have learners in danger of drowning in pit toilets or learning in inappropriate structures, 30 years into our democracy,' Gwarube said. According to a response by the minister to questions in parliament last November, 405 schools in the Eastern Cape were still using pit latrines, 170 in KwaZulu-Natal, 40 in Mpumalanga and 37 in Limpopo. The department launched an app in partnership with Vodacom, which allows users to report unsafe toilets in schools, monitor progress on their removal and provide real-time feedback on infrastructure improvements. 'Far too many learners still face daily risks to their health and safety because of inadequate school infrastructure,' Gwarube conceded. According to the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa, provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape face significant hurdles because of high infrastructure needs and budgetary constraints. 'These provinces host some of the most rural and under-resourced communities in the country, where schools often lack basic infrastructure like safe sanitation, reliable electricity, and adequate classroom space,' said the organisation's spokesperson, Basil Manuel. Parliament's portfolio committee on basic education said in February that 80% of the KwaZulu-Natal department of education's budget had been allocated to The department has introduced a 10-point strategy aimed at enhancing infrastructure planning, delivery, maintenance and monitoring at the provincial level.
